Here’s how you can manage stress levels for your overall health and your appearance.

It’s Stress Awareness Month—a great time to focus on managing stress levels for your overall health and appearance. Stress can impact the health of your heart, digestion, weight, memory and even your ability to sleep. Stress and lack of sleep can also negatively impact your looks, causing blemishes and breakouts, as well as dehydration, which can lead to fine lines and wrinkles. Stress can also negatively impact your hair, resulting in graying and hair loss. So, in the name of beauty, here’s how you can learn to de-stress.

Teach Yourself to Relax
For some people, relaxing can be quite difficult. However, if you can set aside just a few minutes a day to meditate, it will serve your mind, body and spirit well. By entering into a relaxed and peaceful state, you release chemicals into your body that help to counter the stress hormones you’re creating. Practicing yoga or deep breathing exercises can help you find calm. As you do, you can reduce stress-related symptoms that negatively affect you. Set aside 5 to 10 each day to help you relax.

A few calming tips:
- Look for a place that’s quiet and removed from the daily chaos.
- Close your eyes, sit up straight and tall, and place your hands in your lap.
- Slowly begin to breathe. Inhale through your nose until your lungs are filled and then slowly exhale through your mouth. Deep breathing will help to slow your heart rate and inspire a feeling of calm. It also helps to lower your blood pressure.

If you can dedicate even more than 10 minutes, do it. A few extra minutes out of your day will only help you to further alleviate your stress levels.